Egg-detector.



W. H; HUTGHINSON.

EGG DETECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. s, 1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1" THE NORRIS FETERSCD. wasmncmu, 1:. c.

W. H. HUTGHIN$0N. EGG DETECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

2 SHEETSSKEET 2.

Ti-n: NORRIS PETERS 0a., wAsmNcmrv, n. :4

55 115i will be a gradual diminution from day to UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HUTCHINSQN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

EGG-DETECTOR.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented J une 13, 1911.

Application filed September 6, 1910. Serial No. 580,616.

. ence-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an instrument for detecting the quality of eggs and determining their adaptability for various purposes, such as use in incubators, or with sitting hens and for household use.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device which is simple in construction and will enable the operator to grade a quantity of eggs obtained from different sources and at different times, according to the degree of freshness which the eggs when tested separately may show. To this end I have provided means for readily determining the specific gravity of an egg and indicating its age and quality.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the specification. I

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an instrument showing one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3 -3F of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View the claims at the end of showing the means'employed for operating the index finger. Figs. 6 and 7 are side ele vations and cross sectional views, showing another type detail view showing a modified form of the cam operating mechanism employed for acwith my invention tuating the index finger.

An instrument constructed in accordance is adapted to determine the quality of an egg by means of the variations which occur in its specific gravity due to its age, but it will be understood, of course, that the deterioration which an egg undergoes depends largely upon the condition under which it is'kept, although there a suitable apparatus such reference being had I of the apparatus. Fig. Sis a day which will cause the egg in time to pass through the various grades known as strictly fresh, fresh, good, fair and stale. As an egg passes from one grade to another, its specific gravity changes and by means of a fact may readily be determined.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a receptacle or tank preferably rectangular,

Q comprising the front and rear walls 1 and 2,

and bottom 3, the tank being of any desired size, and one of the walls, preferably the rear wall, being provided with apertures or perforations near its upper edge which will determine the height of the liquid, in which the egg is immersed. Arranged within the vessel is a pivoted holder comprising a revoluble shaft 5 supported at its ends in bearings 6 on the front and rear walls and carrying the arm 7 which is adapted to receive the egg. This arm is preferably made of a single piece of wire forming the parallel side pieces 8 which are attached at one end to the shaft 5 and at their opposite extremities are curved or bent, as indicated at 9, to form a saddle or holder in which the egg may be slipped and held by spring pressure, the egg being supported with its major axis standing in a direction parallel to the shaft 5. The side pieces 8 of the holder are offset from the shaft 5, as indicated at 10, so that when an egg is supported therein and immersed in the liquid to the lowest point to which it can be carried by the holder, any tendency which it may have to rise will be exerted at one side of the shaft and tend to cause the latter to be rotated, this being an important feature, as there is but slight buoyancyin eggs which are graded as fresh, as distinguished from those of a strictly fresh quality. The counterbalance is also connected to the shaft 5 which comprises a short rod 11 extending at one side of the pivotal center on which is supported an adjustable weight 12. the shaft 5 is arranged at one end of the receptacle and slightly beneath the apertures 1, which determine the level of the liquid, so that when an exceptionally poor or stale egg'is inserted in the holder, it will support the latter in the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, which is about the position the holder assumes when the egg 18 inserted therein. To facilitate this movement on the part of the'operator, the shaft It will be noticed that r projects above the surface of the liquid which may be depressed to tilt the holder upwardly into position to receive an egga Eggs of difierent qualities possessin dif: ferent specific gravlties will SlIllCClIEBI'GIll] depths in the liquid and carry the holder downwardly from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2 or some intermediate position, and fromthis adjustment of the holder which an egg will automatically produce, its quality'lnay be determined.

Operating in conjunction with. the carrier is'an index finger 14"arranged exteriorly of the receptacle which cooperatesw-ith; a scale 15 mounted onthewallof the receptacle and-containing graduations, as shown, which have been established as correct.v by averages obtained from continued experiments-with ailargenumber of eggs-of different commerclal sizes extending over: a. considerable period of t1me, sa1d eggs-being also kept under different atmospheric conditions. Theaindex'finger is pivoted at a point. indicated by15 and is supported upon an arbor l6 journaled in thesleeve 17 secured to the. front wall of the receptacle; Extending laterally from the" arbor is an arm:18 which rests upon asmall rollerl9 carried-"on aicrank arm 20 rig-idly connected tothe shaft 5 of the egg holder. The parts just describediform an op'erat-ingiconnection between the holderand the index-'finger'and are so arranged: that the holder and. index fingermove relatively in the opposite direc tion', the? arm: 18 being curved, as shown particularly" in Fig. 2, to form a: cam surface which is so-shaped asto give a practically. uniform movement to. the finger 14 without retarding the movement of the holderin any way. The arm 20 preferably supports the roller 19.:to oneside of the axis Offl'jlle: shaft 5 a'ncl thearm' 18 bearing: upon the roller'when theholder is carried clownwardly to its-lowest position, at which time the index finger: projects. substantially in a horizontal: direction over'the scale graduation'marked'Strictly fresh From this arrangementof theparts itwillbe seen-that the instrument. is very sensitive in its operation, as the: rotary movement of the holder is-not in any way retarded by'the index finger'and as thevlatteris also provided with counterbalance 21, thezarm l8 bear ing on the-roller. l9 will not exertan appre+ ciableainfluence' on. the holder to alter its positionr In Figs-.4 and. 5 I? have shown a modificationof? the: apparatus in which" a: different form. of operating connection: is provided between the eggholder25 and the indicatingifinger 26. The: former is pivoted on the shafti27 while thelatter isshown and determined at the point 28. The arbor carryingfthe index finger is provided with a plate 29 having a cam slot 30 in which is guided the roller 31 carried on the crank arm 32; In this arrangement of the parts .the movement of the index finger in the direction opposite to the movement of the egg holder is also accomplished. In other words, when the egg holder is carried up- "wardly by a bad or stale egg in the position shown in Fig. 5, the-index finger willbe rotatedtothe position shown'm Fig; 4, whereas, if the egg which is being tested is of the strictly fresh quality, the holder'will be rotated downwardly and thefinger moved tothe opposite end of the scale. derstood, of course, that other arrangements It will be unofjthese parts may be .made without departing; from the spirit of my invention, for ex ample, the roller may be connectedito the ndex finger, as shown 1n F1g..8, 1n which :the roller is indicated by 33, the cam operating therewith, which is indicated by 34,

-being'attached .tothe arbor 35 on which-the egg holder is mounted.

In Figs-.6 and 7 I: have shown another arrangement of parts in which the indexfinger 40is rigidly connected to the shaft 41 on which the egg holder 423is carried, the latter" being counterbalanced by the weight 43 which is initially given an approximate v adjustment, which: fine adj ustmentas may be required to renderthe instrument sensitive being obtained by rotating theweight 44 on the screw threaded endof the arm: 45- arrangedexteriorly of thereceptacle and projecting in an opposite direction=fro1n the index finger'40. V

I. claim .as-my invention 1; In an eggdetector, the combination with a liquid: receptacle, of a pivotedriholder located therein adapted to receive an egg, the position of said holder onaits pivot being determined by the buoyancy: ofthe egg, and anindicator arranged exteriorly of the recept'acle and cooperating with the holder.

2. In. an egg detector, the combination with. a non-transparent receptacle adapted to cont'aina liquid provided with means for determining theposition of the surface of the: liquid in said receptacle, of a, holder pivoted in the receptacle and adapted to receive an egg, the pivotal point of saidholder being located. relatively to-the surface of the liquid, and an indicator arranged exteriorly ofthe receptacle. and operated by the holder.

3. In an egg detector, thecombination with a tank I adaptedzto contain: a. predetermined quantity: ofliquid, a holder rotatably fixedon a. horizonta'lipivotlocated; near the surface of'the liquid andi adapted to receive an egg, an indicator operated by the holder and arranged exteriorly'of the tank and a scale on the. outer" face of the wall of the tank cooperating with: the indicator.

4. In an egg? detector, the. combination with a tank, a body of liquid therein and a holder pivoted in the tank comprising an arm adapted to receive an egg, saidarm being offset from the pivot and adapted to support the egg with its major axis parallel to the pivot of said holder, of an indicator operated by the holder.

5. In an egg detector, with a tank, a body of liquid therein and a horizontally rotatable shaft, of an egg holding arm attached to and offset from the shaft, a balance operating on the latter to counteract the weight of the arm and an indicating finger tank and operated by the rotary movement of the shaft.

6. In an egg detector, the combination with a vessel containing liquid and a holder pivotally supported on the walls of the vessel and adapted to receive an egg and support it with its major allel to the axis of the holder, of an indicating finger operated by the holder and arranged outside of the vessel.

7 In an egg detector, the combination with a vessel containing liquid and having parallel front and rear walls and a shaft extending between said walls and pivotally supported thereon at its ends, of an egg holder supported on and offset from said shaft, a finger located exteriorly of the vesthe combination arranged eXteriorly of the .finger and operatin axis extending par-V sel and operated by the rotary movements imparted to the shaft and a scale arranged on the wall of the Vessel and cooperating with the indicating finger.

' 8. In an egg detector, the combination with a vessel containing liquid, a pivoted. holder adapted to receive an egg, of a movable indicating finger and a cam operating mechanism interposed between said holder and finger.

9. In an egg detector, with a vessel containing liquid, a pivoted holder for receiving an egg, the position of which is determined by the buoyancy of the egg in the liquid, of a pivoted indicating g connections between the holder and finger for actuating the latter in a reverse direction to that of the holder.

10. In an egg detector, the combination with a vessel containing liquid and a holder pivotally supported on the walls of the vessel and adapted to receive an egg, of an indicating finger also pivoted on the vessel at one side of the pivot of the holder, a cam on one of said parts and a cooperating arm on the other, said cam and arm operating to actuate the finger relatively to the holder. 7'

WILLIAM H. IIUTCHINSON.

Witnesses: V

G. WILLARD R1011, RUssELL B. GRIFFITH.

the combination Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G. 

